Detasseling machine



Dec. 19, 1939. P. sEEBER DETASS'ELING MACHINE Filed Dec. 23, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 19, 1939. P. sEEBER DETASSELING MACHINE Filed Dec. 25, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Heiler' 5665er atto. 114/13 Dec. 19, 1939. P. SEI-:BER

` DETASSELING MACHINE Filed Dec. 23, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Dec. 19, 1939. P. sEEBER DETASSELING MACHINE Filed Dec. 25, 1937 4 Sheecs-Sheefl 4 nor) Patented Dec. 19, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DETASSELING MACHINE Peter Seeber, Champaign, Ill.

Application December 23, 1937, Serial No. 181,427

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved machine for detasseling corn.

An important object of the invention is to provide a machine constructed to move through a eld of corn without damaging it for the purpose of carrying workmen engaged in detasseling the corn to develop hybrid seed corn.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine capable of carrying sucient workmen and constructed so that as many as four rows of corn can be simultaneously detasseled.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine having raised platforms on either side disposed directly above the wheels of the device and adapted to move between rows of standing corn.

Still another object of the invention is to provide such a machine driven by an internal combustion engine mounted in an elevated position to pass over the standing corn and connected to the ground engaging wheels to operate the vehicle.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following specification of which the drawings form a part, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of the machine,

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is` a cross sectional view on the line 3 3 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view on the line il-4 of Figure 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings wherein like reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the diierent views, I designates generally the machine comprising a front arch II and a rear arch I2 the depending ends of which are connected to the iront wheels I3 and the rear wheels I4 respectively. Arch I2 is provided with a cross brace I5 disposed beneath the horizontal portion there- Mounted on the horizontal portion of arch II is an internal combustion engine I6. Engine I6 stantially supportedby the braces 22 secured to posts 23 which constitute the depending ends of arch I2. Beams I1 rest on and are supported by the arch II and by the brackets I1 secured to brace I5. 5

It is to be understood that the adaptation of an automobile engine I6 as described to machine I0 is not intended to limit the device to use in combination with such an engine but merely to illustrate one preferred form of construction.

Keyed to the exposed ends of the axles 24 are sprockets 25 connected to sprockets 26 by chains 21, sprockets 26 are keyed to the shafts 28 journaled in posts 23 which have sprockets 29 keyed to their opposite ends to be connected to the large l5 sprockets by chains 3l. Sprockets 30 are keyed to the rear wheel axles I4. Sprockets 26 are larger than sprockets 25 and sprockets 30 are larger than sprockets 29 to reduce the speed of rotation of wheels I4 relatively to engine I6.

Mounted directly behind the engine I6 is an operators seat 32 positioned directly behind a steering wheel 33. These likewise are of conventiona1 automobile type and connected by the conventional 'steering mechanism 34 with the link 25 35. Link is pivotally connected to cranks 36 which are keyed to the vertical shafts 31. Shafts 31 are journaled in brackets 38 which are secured to and extend downwardly to the rear of posts 39, which are the depending sides of the arch I I. 30 The lower ends of shafts 31 are bent inwardly at an angle to form the crank portions 4|) provided with slots 4I as seen in Figure 2.

Referring to Figure 4 the lower ends of posts 39 are provided with outwardly extending fork por- 35 tions 42 in which are journaled the spindles 43 to which are connected Wheels I3. Secured to spindles' 43 are cranks 44 having at their free ends the upwardly projecting pins 45 which engage slots 4I to connect cranks 40 and 44 so that 40 wheels I3 may be steered by the steering wheel 33.

Mounted on the opposite sides of arches I I and I2 above the wheels I3 and I4 and extending lengthwise of the machine Ill are the platforms 46 mounted on the brackets 41 which'are con- 45 nected to the uprights 48 on each side of therplatforms 46. The upper ends of uprights 48 are secured to a railing 49 which completely surrounds the platforms 46 and the inner sides of which are secured to the arch I2 at 50 to support the rear 50 ends of platforms 46. The front ends of platforms 46 are mounted on and secured to the braces 5I which are in turn secured to posts 39 of arch II.

Arches II and I2 are connected together and 55 braced by the rods 52 which are secured at 53 to posts 23 and which extend forwardly and are bent at 54 and connected at the bend to posts 39. The rods A52 then extend rearwardly and upwardly and connected at 55 to posts 23.

The drive shaft housing I9 is supported intermediately by braces 56, as seen in Figure 2 which extend from the axle housing 2| and are connected at 51 to housing I8. Braces 56 are in turn supported by braces 58 which extend upwardly at an angle from posts 23.

The supporting structure for the machine I0 is formed for the most part of angle shaped members to give as much strength as possible without unnecessarily increasing the weight.

The engine I6 and housing I9 are sufficiently elevated so that machine I0 can pass through a corn eld with engine I6 and housing I9 spanning two rows of corn. The workmen can position themselves on the platforms 46 facing in opposite directions so that the two rows of corn passing under machine I0 and the row on each side of machine I9 may be detasseled simultaneously. The railing 49 will be sufficiently high and rigid so that the workmen may lean against it freely and be supported by it so that they will not have to hold onto the machine with one hand while working thus leaving both hands free to work with.

From the foregoing it will be seen that seat 32, which is supported by braces I1, is in turn adapted to support the operator of the vehicle who drives machine I 9 so that wheels I3 and I4 and platforms 46 will pass between the rows of corn. From his elevated position he has a clear view to the front so that he can looii down onto the corn and steer wheels I3 to follow the rows. as described not only forms the vertical connection between the rear axles 24 and the stub axles I4' to drive wheels I4, but also reduces the driving ratio between wheels I4 and engine I9 to increase the power sufficiently to permit the machine to move through fields with its load, and also permit the machine to be driven very slowly in order to permit the corn to be detasseled as the machine I0 moves by.

The invention is not intended to be limited to the exact means as disclosed for mounting and supporting the engine I6 and its driving mechanism forming a part of a conventional automobile; nor by the particular means employed for supporting the workmens platforms 46.

The vertical rods 31 having the crank ends 40 connected to cranks 44 provide a steering mechanism that functions in the same manner as an automobile steering mechanism, but which is d'fferently constructed because of the elevated position of the conventional portion 3 4 relatively to the wheels I3.

Various changes may be resorted to in the construction of the device and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

I claim as my invention:

1. A motor driven farm machine comprising arches arranged in spaced relationship, wheels connected to the depending ends of said arches to The chain drive l support them in an elevated position for spanning rows of growing corn, beams connected to the horizontal portions of said arches, driving means for said machine mounted on said'beams and connected to the rear wheels to drive the same, means to operate said driving means and to steer the machine from a position on top of said beams, and platforms including guard rails secured to the sides of said arches on the outside and longitudinally of the machine and directly above the wheels to support workmen engaged in detasseling growing corn, said arches being adapted to span the growing corn while the wheels and platforms move between the rows.

2. A farm machine comprising front and rear wheels supporting an elevated chassis, a motor mounted on top of said chassis and having a drive shaft extending rearwardly therefrom, means connecting said drive shaft and the rear wheels of said machine to drive the same, a steeringpmechanism for the front wheels including vertical shafts connecting a steering structure arranged on top of said chassis and cranks connected to front wheel stub axles to steer the machine from a position on top of the chassis, and means arranged on the sides of the chassis and in vertical alinement therewith above the wheels and extending longitudinally of the chassis to support a number of workmen engaged in detasseling growing corn, said supporting means and wheels being adapted to pass between the rows of corn, and said chassis being suciently elevated and of sulcient width to span two rows of the corn whereby the workmen may detassel four rows of corn simultaneously.

3. A corn detasseling machine comprising a chassis' having depending posts at the four corners thereof, stub axles projecting outwardly from the free ends of said depending posts, wheels mounted on said stub axles, driving means including a motor. supported above said chassis, vertically disposed means connecting said drive means and certain of said wheels, and platforms disposed longitudinally of said chassis and connected to the outer sides of said posts above the wheels and adapted to support workmen engaged in detasseling growing corn, said chassis being adapted to span two rows of the growing corn and the wheels and platforms being adapted to pass between the rows whereby the workmen may simultaneously detassel four of the rows.

4. A corn detasseling machine comprising an elevated chassis provided with depending posts at the corners thereof, wheels connected to the outer sides of the depending ends of said posts, platforms secured to said posts and extending longitudinally of the chassis, said platforms being disposed directly above the alined wheels of the machine, and drive means for said machine including a motor mounted above and between said platforms and adjacent the forward end of the chassis, said drive means including a plurality of sets of chains disposed between and beneath the platforms and connected to certain of said wheels.

PETER SEEBER. 

